Neon Moon Is Doing Away With Numbered Sizing — But Are Numbers the Real Issue?

Lingerie, as we know all too well, is not a one-size-fits-all industry.

Neon Moon, a U.K.-based lingerie brand, is taking a stance on the lack of body positive products produced by lingerie companies. Instead of using standard numbered sizes, the company is asking customers to measure their bust, waist and hips, as reported by Bustle. Those measurements then correspond with three size offerings: "lovely," "gorgeous" and "beautiful."

"At Neon Moon, our aim is to be a body positive and inclusive lingerie brand in an unapologetic feminist way," Hayat Rachi, the founder and CEO of New Moon said via email. "Neon Moon is mindful to all in our community, as some people are triggered by measuring. We make everyone's needs of comfort and self-love a priority and therefore have an unparalleled size guide in the fashion and lingerie industry that is paving the way for positive change."

Neon Moon has been known to represent a diverse group of women well before the brains behind Neon Moon did away with standard numbered sizing. In November 2015, the brand released a campaign that featured a transgender woman as well as a woman with her armpit hair on proud display, and one with a shaved head.

Dropping number sizes is meant to be part of that welcoming inclusivity and kindness. After all, people stress about the number on the tag, which is why vanity sizing is a modern reality. Neon Moon isn't the only clothing brand to have dropped its number sizes. In June 2015, Manifesta, an athletic apparel company, replaced its sizes with flowers. Before that, in 2013, Special K launched a "no sizes" campaign.

But dropping number sizes or removing the term plus-size as a separate category, like ModCloth did in October 2015, does not mean that a brand is completely inclusive.

Neon Moon currently only sells lingerie up to a U.S. size 14, something that many potential customers have complained about.

"Because we're a start-up, we can only offer stretchy triangles connected with string in three sizes. Sorry :(" http://www.neonmoon.co/pages/size-guide ...

How on earth can they call themselves a body positive feminist lingerie brand if they only do up to a size 16? pic.twitter.com/4GLxPiULkN

it's ok to be "body-positive" and consider the feelings of people under size 14, but not over

Even though Rachi says that the company is working on creating a larger range of sizes, with companies like Victoria's Secret dominating the market, it's difficult to predict whether we will ever see a wide range of lingerie brands recognizing plus-size styles.

"It's refreshing to see a brand centering diversity — in multiple respects — as part of their mission," Cora Harrington the founder and editor in chief of The Lingerie Addict, said via email. "I don't expect any company to be perfectly representative or diverse (in fact, I have no idea what 'perfect' representation would even look like), but I do admire and applaud brands like Neon Moon that are trying to overturn typical lingerie industry norms. It's not easy to be a brand going against the tide."

Is eliminating numbered sizing a fix-all? Of course not. It is, however, refreshing to see companies like Neon Moon and blogs like The Lingerie Addict highlighting diverse groups of women and further igniting a conversation that we all need to be having.

After all, "not everyone is the same, and that's a beautiful fact," Rachi said.